From Best Marketing to Consumer Products of the Year – Ace Places Is Back in the UK StartUp Awards

We’ve got some more exciting news to add to the Ace Places deck…

After an amazing run last year, when Ace Places picked up three brilliant awards — including our very first win for Best Marketing, PR & Advertising StartUp in the South East at the UK StartUp Awards — we were eligible for one final year of entry. So we’re delighted to share that we’ve now been shortlisted for Consumer Products of the Year in the South East.

To be recognised again by the UK StartUp Awards feels really special.

Last year’s win meant so much because it was the first award Ace Places had ever received. It was one of those lovely, pinch-me moments that made us stop and reflect on just how far this little idea had come — from a playful pack of illustrated local guides to an award-winning business celebrating independent shops, hidden gems, charities and local pride.

This year’s nomination feels special in a different way.

Ace Places has always been about creating something joyful, useful and beautifully made — a product that helps people discover a town in a more meaningful way, while shining a light on the brilliant independents and community spirit that make each place special. So to see the cards recognised in Consumer Products of the Year feels like a real honour.

What makes this nomination even sweeter is everything it represents behind the scenes: the businesses who back the packs, the stockists who champion them, the customers who buy and gift them, the charities we support, and the growing community that believes local places deserve to be celebrated in fresh, creative ways.

From Henley to Marlow and beyond, Ace Places has always been powered by people who care deeply about where they live — and this nomination belongs with all of them too.

Knowing this was our final year of eligibility makes the shortlist feel even more meaningful, and whatever happens next, we’re incredibly proud to be in the mix. To be recognised once was wonderful. To come back again in a completely different category feels like a real ace.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Ace Places so far — by sponsoring a card, stocking a pack, sharing our story, buying a gift, coming to an event, or simply cheering us on. You’ve helped turn a colourful idea into something award-worthy, and we’re so grateful.

We’ll keep you posted on how we get on, on the 4th June 2026 when the winners are announced…

First photo from left: Calvin Eden - the host and compère for the evening, Emma Sweet - founder of Ace Places, Nicola Metcalfe - our illustrator and Professor Dylan Jones-Evans OBE - co-founder of the UK Startup Awards.

Second photo: Emma Sweet, founder of Ace Places with the Best Marketing, Advertising & PR StartUp award in June 2025.